


all the lonely nights in your life

by willgrahamssadness



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Case Fic, Deviant Upgraded Connor | RK900, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Gavin Reed Being an Asshole, Gavin Reed Redemption, Kinda, M/M, Not too much, RK900 is Richard, Slow Burn, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, but like, kamski and reed are brothers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-12 14:10:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15341529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willgrahamssadness/pseuds/willgrahamssadness
Summary: He used to believe in them, in soulmates, in the possibility that there is someone out there, made for him to share his life with.But now worn, tired, and chewed out by life Gavin has given up.Until one warm relaxing bath when his arm soared in pain.Soulmate AU where you can doodle on your soulmate, or like, use it like a text message.





	1. Chapter 1

He wasn’t talented in drawing, but he always liked the concept of it, so even though he wasn’t good at it he would still draw on his arms sometimes, hoping that his soulmate would see it.

He was a romantic, that’s the whole truth, nobody really ever knew, because he never could get close to anyone, except maybe for his brother.

For strangers he was abrasive and crass, in a world where romantics were upheld he didn’t fit very well.

He grew up not really knowing what the concept of unconditional love of a soulmate was.

His parents were distant, his brother too caught up in his own world, too smart to indulge childish things like soulmates. He was left to imagine all to himself.

“You know not everyone has a soulmate right?” Elijah said not looking up from his computer.

“Yeah, but most people have them right?” Gavin asked, hiding the desperation in his voice.

Elijah looked at him, being 13 and Gavin 9 at the time, Elijah knew the whole truth about the world. He still believes that until now actually.

There was pity in Elijah’s eyes, he often look at Gavin with those eyes, though he’s sure most of the times Elijah never meant to.

“Yes, most people do, Gav. But wouldn’t it be better if you don’t get your hopes up about that?”

“But I’m sure I have one, nothing ever came up on my arm **yet** , and maybe they’re still a baby? Or maybe not even born yet!”

Elijah just smiled at him, and switched his attention back to his laptop, “Nothing have ever came up on my arm either, and maybe we’ll find them sometime, huh?”

Gavin distantly remembered holding Elijah’s word by heart.

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

He was 12 when Elijah first got it,

“Hi soulmate.” It said on his arm, written in dainty cursive, loops soft and neat as if Elijah’s soulmate often wrote on their arm, being used to the curve and texture of their own skin.

Elijah had told their parents, distant though they may be towards Gavin, Elijah was a different topic, he was smart, handsome, and entirely independent, which was all the things that Gavin wasn’t. Hearing the news they celebrated and held a party just for him.

“How come it never showed up on your arm before that? Her handwriting looks really neat to be someone who just learned how to write.” Gavin sulked, he was entirely jealous of Elijah, he had wanted a soulmate too. Elijah had promised that they would find their soulmate together.

He knew it wasn’t possible for his brother to do anything about the whole situation, but something inside him ached nonetheless. He wanted to be happy for Elijah, he really did, but it was hard to do when every congratulations directed to his brother feels like a stab to the chest.

“It doesn’t happen straight away, Gav, the universe needs to do this whole thing for every each one of us, occasionally someone might have to wait longer, don’t you think?” Elijah ruffled the top of his head, “And also, I’m older than you, maybe you’ll get yours tomorrow or next year, don’t worry about it.”

His words made distant sense, Gavin’s emotions refusing to see any of what was happening as anything other than a personal vendetta from the universe against his very existence. But that was his own problem he realized.

Elijah deserved this celebration.

So that’s what Gavin did.

Celebrated for his brother, and seeing him and his soulmate, who turned out to be a pretty blonde girl named Chloe.

Chloe was a sunny day on the side of a pond, she was warm and calm, everything she did was graceful, and everything she said has meaning, her voice was something that could drift you away like a summer breeze.

She was nice to him, and their parents. Her family were good people.

She was the one he could come and talk to about soulmates, about drawing, and anything that his brother had considered unimportant. He was never too stupid for her.

If Gavin had to dig for a bad trait maybe it was her habit of going out at night.

But she went with Elijah and they were young, so Gavin understood.

Gavin witnessed them grow together, closer and becoming more interlaced with each other, his brother seemingly happier than ever.

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

Gavin was 16 and he watched the same love came to an end.

It started with a cough.

And ended in a rainy funeral.

The flower died.

But the wind continued to blow.

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

Gavin was 18 when he changed his name.

There was nothing worth staying.

He accepted then that he was born to be alone.

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

“Reed!” Fowler called on top of his lungs from the balcony. Gavin sighed loudly and dragged himself to the office.

The first thing he saw was Connor.

But something was off.

“Reed, this is RK900.” Fowler pointed to the android standing next to him.

It looked more intimidating than Connor. It’s the eyes, Gavin thought. _They’re grey._

“Nice to meet you, Detective.” It said. Voice clipped and formal, no hint of sentiment. All machine.

Gavin frowned and turned his gaze on Fowler, “Yeah, yeah, what the fuck is this about.”

“The fuck do you think, Reed? Say one more stupid shit and I’m demoting you to an office Roomba.” Fowler yelled at him.

Gavin fucking knew what this meant, but fuck if he’s gonna accept all this. He had problem just dealing with Connor being around the office, the android is annoying as fuck but at least it stayed out of his way.

But now he’s being _assigned_ one. Fuck this.

“The fuck did I do wrong? My fucking rate’s the fucking highest in the office.”

“Well, that’s why we’re assigning RK900 to you, to further improve your efficiency, Reed. This is an asset, use it.” Before Gavin could protest Fowler continued, “And there’s no leeway here, it’s either you take him, or you hand in your badge.”

Gavin was fuming, we have all been there before, made to do something we don’t want, but this,

This was so much more than that.

If he thought that the universe had it for him before, it’s fucking confirmed now.

He stood there for a while, staring Fowler in the eye, he knew he couldn’t say anything without risking his position. Finally he turned to the android and squinted his eye, “Fuck you.” And left Fowler’s office.

Not surprisingly the android followed him to his desk. Gavin could see the android walking over, at every step taken by it his rage grows.

He couldn’t work with anyone, _anything especially,_ it’s a common knowledge around the office, he works alone, and does his job, nobody fucking bothers him.

And now they’re assigning him this piece of fucking machine that masquerades around thinking it’s real and shit, it’s so fucking messed up, in every fucking way possible. None of these things can replace a real fucking person.

“Detective I suggest cooling down before we start on our case, you look like you’re constipated.” The tall Connor said.

“How fucking dar-“ Gavin stood up, shoulders squared, pointed finger on the android’s chest.

Its’ hand wrapped around Gavin’s threatening finger, shifting his attention to RK’s eyes by instinct.

“I really don’t appreciate this kind of behavior, Detective. If you refuse to act professionally I can guarantee you that it will affect your evaluation of performance in the department.” It said, its’ voice has the same weird lilt as Connor, but the way RK900 utter his words were entirely different.

Gavin growled, “The fuck do you know, plastic?”

“That you need to quickly mature and act professional.” It replied coolly.

“Oh fuck you, tin can.” Was all that Gavin could muster.

Everyone was watching them at this point, including Connor and Hank, their eyes fixed on Gavin as if waiting for him to blow up and throw a tantrum.

The LED on the towering android in front of him blinked yellow and it freezes for a second, it then looked at Gavin in the eyes, “Detective we should delay our feud, a homicide case has occurred, which needs our immediate attention.”

Damn all this.

“I can do it on my own.” Gavin pulled his hand away from the android’s grasp, grabbed his jacket, phone, and gun. Headed outside leaving the android standing with blinking yellow LED.

He pulled up the case from his email and database, set the address as a destination on his GPS, and drove away.

RK900 stood in front of the precinct, unmoving.

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

Gruesome is the wrong word for what Gavin was facing.

It was strangely… Beautiful?

The body was elevated from the ground by ropes, from each limbs connecting to the ceiling and floor, spreading the victim as if for show. The victim was hung upside down, with his insides exposed to the detective currently in front of him, nothing was left, even ribs halfway sawed off neatly.

His face was untouched, the man was conventionally attractive, and not a single speck of blood was on his face or hair, his face strangely peaceful, as if he just fell asleep. While missing most of his vital organs.

He felt like this was something personal. It was like an artwork that just happened to be made of something that is outlawed, almost proving the beauty in wrongness.

“He was conscious.” A voice startled the shit out of Gavin.

“What the fuck?”

The android was approaching him, and crouched next to him slowly lowering his fingers-

“What the fuck are you doing?” Gavin asked, voice alarmed.

RK900 opened his mouth and gently licked his bloodied fingers.

“FOR FUCK’S SAKES.” Gavin screamed, and made a sound that sounded a lot like gagging.

“Detective, please. It is merely how I function, I assure you the result of the blood analysis will be worth the trauma.” It said, sounding like he was teasing Gavin for his reaction.

Gavin was going to say something along the lines of being capable of solving the case by himself, but then he looked at the scene in front of him. This was something different.

Something elaborate and detailed. Something deeper than just a self-defense case or a personal grudge.

This felt like it was trying to _say something._

And there was no way he could solve this case quickly enough without having the feds sticking their nose into it.

Gavin needs all the help that he could get. Even if it is from a fucking machine.

“The fuck does it say then?”

RK900 frowned and stared at the body hanging in front of them, “If you don’t mind I can thoroughly investigate the available evidence in the room and reconstruct the murder, then run it off by you?” He said slowly, still examining the body.

Gavin frowned, “I thought you were fucking efficient, I can do exactly the same thing without having your plastic ass here.”

“I had in mind that we could bounce off hypotheses regarding the crime, Detective. And I would appreciate it if you don’t call me by racial slurs.”

Bounce off my ass, Gavin thought.

“Just run it by me when you’re done. And I think I’ll call you whatever the fuck I want, Robocop.” Gavin said, voice full of venom.

“Detective, according to the average bigoted humans they see androids as nothing but a machine, therefore having no emotions or any capacity for them. I can assure you that it would be better for the both of us if I keep my respect for you in exchange for you not calling me by any racial slurs. My name is Richard, please, do call me by that.” the android said, there was a hint of carefully guarded anger in his voice.

Gavin snorted at that, “Did I hurt your fucking feelings then, Alexa?”

Gavin was standing behind the android, unable to see its face, but he could see its shoulder tensed.

He was waiting for a comeback from the android, after all its been deflecting his insults just fine, without the brown puppy eyes that Connor has, the android in front of him really does seem more like a machine than its predecessor. Eliminating any feeling of guilt from throwing insults its way.

“He was alive for more than 4 hours of torture.” RK900 said suddenly.

Gavin was a little thrown off by the android’s choice to change the subject, but it was their priority to be here and solve the case, so he felt like there was no need to get back to calling each other names, or rather him calling RK900 names, fucking Richard, what a joke.

“Yeah I thought so, completely drained too.” Gavin said as he circled around the crime scene, it’s better to think out loud in these kinds of situation.

RK900 nodded in confirmation, “Though, this is not the actual scene of crime.” RK900 said.

Gavin looked up, finally facing the android, “he was moved? What about the blood?”

“This was made to look like the actual crime scene, but the splatter doesn’t match,” RK pointed to the left side of the wall, “see that, if we were to simulate the splatter from the body,” RK then produce a hologram of the simulation, overlapping the actual crime scene and proving his conclusion.

“Why would he?” Gavin thought out loud, then it occurred to him, “Is it possible that he’s buying time?”

RK frowned at him, “Detective?”

“He doesn’t know we have you.” Gavin said slowly.

“Therefore, he doesn’t know that we are able to analyze the crime scene in a short period of time. Expecting traditional blood work to take between 2 to 3 days.” RK said, catching up to Gavin’s assumption.

Gavin nodded in response and looked at the victim, “Blood all his?”

RK nodded, “Positive.”

“Traces of thirium?”

“Negative.”

Gavin looked at RK, “Is there any possibility that the murderer is not human?”

RK nodded slowly, “There is a low possibility of 4%”

Gavin frowned, “Can we eliminate that possibility or should we look into it? That’s gonna take a lot of fucking man hour.”

“I suggest you let me look into it, I will be able to process and analyze the information a lot quicker, and as I don’t need as much sleep as humans, I will be able to throw more hours for effective time allocation.” RK explained.

“Right, get on that ASAP.” Gavin said, mind still trying to get a sketch on the crime scene in front of him.

”Victim is 23 year old James Smith, huh?”

“Positive, all checks out.” RK confirmed.

They went to examine the details of the evidence lying around in the crime scenes, before finally the business streams out as the buzzing of evidence collection and bagging ended.

“It’s late, I’m gonna make a report from today and go home, you go do whatever the fuck you need to do.” Gavin said.

“There is no need, Detective. I’ve handed in the report when you were examining the evidence.” RK said, eyes still darting around the crime scene.

No matter how much he hated the android, that kind of lifted his burden by a long shot, reports of evidence and general paperwork is something that requires a lot of time but is mind numbingly boring to do, how the fuck the android did it he didn’t give a shit.

“Fuck! I guess you do come in handy, huh?” Gavin chuckled.

He saw RK’s expression tightened, but didn’t care enough to say anything about it.

“Right, I’m going the fuck home, I’ll email you if something comes to mind.” Gavin said as he exited the crime scene, not looking back to the android.

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

He opened the door to a rapid shuffling sound and by reflex quickly jab his right foot to hold the thing currently sliding to the door inside.

There was a loud ‘slump’ sound and a loud chirping like noise.

“Nope, sorry, still can’t go outside.” He said with a slight chuckle as the massive tabby cat stared at him with murderous eyes.

He pets the cat nonetheless and walked over to the two bowls, refilled the dry food and changed the water. The cat quickly jumped to sniff the fresh water and drank noisily.

Gavin took a sheet of tissue, ripped it in two, twisted them into two tiny nubs and shoved them each into his nose holes, and put on a reusable surgical mask that was sitting on top of the front table. The scooper was next to the litter and he reached into the plastics he bought just for cleaning the litter. He held his breath and gasped through his mouth as he cleaned out the litter. Coughed and gagged when a slight smell somehow got through the mask and bundled tissue in his nose. He tied the plastic bag tightly and swung it out the window straight to the apartment bin down in the alleyway next to his building.

He quickly ran to his living room to get the air spray freshener and spayed it throughout the whole apartment. Only then he took off the mask and threw away the tissue nubs.

The cat was staring at him from beside the food bowl as if ridiculing him for the whole charade.

“Listen, maybe if you weren’t so goddamn big you’d poop less, but it is what it is, I accept you the way you are, so you have to accept me back.” He said to the cat, voice serious.

He’d had gotten a cat out of pure want of something, which rarely happened to him, he decided that a dog would be too much to take care of, especially with his work hours. A cat was the logical solution, so he researched cat breeds and settled to buy a MaineCoon which is currently staring at him with piercing yellow eyes.

He didn’t think the cat would grow as big as it is though.

But more to love.

It was currently still 8, which meant he could afford to have a bath, bless the fucking android. He went to his bedroom and fished out the change of clothes, settled them down on the bathroom counter and run a warm bath.

While waiting for the bath he went and have a couple of cigarettes, leaning out of his balcony, he could see the whole of Detroit.

He was closing his eyes in the bath, trying to unwind from the crime scene today, which was currently plaguing his mind. He was just about to slip into a comfortable nap in the bath when a burning pain soared in the back of his right arm. He hissed and tried to hold the part of his arm that hurt with his left hand.

 _What the fuck,_ He thought, _it can’t be, can it?_

When he turned 25 he had scrapped the whole idea of him having a soulmate.

He slowly lift his left hand up, pain still prickling, but there it was.

A straight line on his right arm.

Not a sentence, not anything meaningful, a straight black line.

He stared at it for a few minutes, mind completely blank, then it seemed like the whole situation finally sunk in for Gavin.

He bolted out the bath, buck naked and sopping wet, and grabbed a fine liner from his work table, cursed when he realized that his arm are still wet, ran back to the bathroom to dry his arms off and scribbled a messy ‘hello?’.

Which is probably the stupidest thing he could ever say to a soulmate he has been waiting for _38 literal agonizing years._ But fuck it. He couldn’t care less now.

He stared at his arm like a fucking idiot before an itching sensation came, the painful sensation absent this time, and a neat almost computer like handwriting bleeds into his arm.

‘Hello to you too.’

Gavin choked back a sob.

He’s not going to die alone.

‘What’s your name?’ Gavin wrote back, and proceed to wait again like the fool that he was.

He couldn’t stop the grin coming to his face when the itching sensation came back.

‘Richard, and yours?’


	2. Chapter 2

Richard.

It was a name familiar, a lot of people are called Richard, Gavin thought, dumb smile still plastered on his face.

He picked up the pen and wrote ‘Gavin’ on his arm, the trace of their early bond and somewhat awkward conversation was beginning to fade away on his right arm, now only a faint trace of the strong black line that it was.

He frowned when the itching sensation didn’t come back straight away.

The opening to ‘Don’t Fear the Reaper’ startled him and he walked over to the where the source of the sound was.

The caller ID read ‘Tall Connor’ and his mood quickly changed.

The fuck does the tin can want.

“What, plastic? I’m taking an early day off, the fuck do you need?”

There was a stretching silence from the other line, Gavin was about to curse some more when RK’s voice came back, it was in a mix of resignation and melancholy, “Humor me, Detective. Did you by any chance received a contact from your supposed soulmate?”

“How the fuck did you know that?” He was shaken to say the least, Gavin’s voice were accusing, it was out of his control, what the android was up to he’d never know, honestly the thought that it could possibly know every detail about Gavin’s whole life creeps him out a little.

The fuck is happening.

It all came hitting him like a high speed bullet train.

_Richard._

Gavin stood still, he felt like a bucket of ice water had just been thrown over him. Added by the fact that he was standing naked, not quite dry in a January night with the window open. He felt cold. His hand stilled and his mind was put on a stop. This however, had nothing to do with his physical presence.

He had seen it, the news and the talk of the town.

It has been the talk on every media platform ever that for some fucking cruel reason, androids that have gone through deviancy was able to get the mark.

They weren’t designed to be able to, there was no way technology could emulate something that is still a mystery even to humans. And the number of deviancy in android was starting to rise at the time, some people only then getting their first mark. Some were delighted to have a soulmate at all. But some were outraged.

Gavin felt the latter deeply, but he would be lying if he didn’t say there was not something deep within himself that wasn’t awakened by the sheer knowledge that the universe had not forgotten about him. Had he opened a jar better left alone? Probably.

But his mind seems to have halted, the phone still on call with the android on the other line, silence grows, his tears of happiness turning into one of despair. He couldn’t hold it back, they now run freely down his face like a liberated animal.

“Detective? Are you… still there?” the android’s voice snapped him back into reality.

He looked at the phone in his hand.

Surely this was a joke? There were a lot of people named Richard.

“If this is some kind of payback you’re doing, you’re crossing the line, Plastic.” He muttered, words weak.

There was an audible sigh coming from the other end, “I wish it was, Detective. Whatever I have done to deserve this is a mystery to me. I will pretend that this fact never came to our knowledge. Good luck with the investigation, Detective Reed.” RK’s voice sounded sad, betrayed, and somewhat angry. Gavin wanted to yell back, it was his place to decide what should be done about this. No damn android will tell him what to do with his life.

_Whatever I have done to deserve this is a mystery to me._

He couldn’t give less of a fuck what the android thinks about him, but knowing that it was supposed to be his soulmate hurts.

A broken and bitter laugh escaped his lips. It sounded pathetic.

His chest felt heavy, his head now pounding, his ears started to ring in the silence of the world, tears still streaming freely down his cheeks, some getting into his mouth, the salty taste familiar.

Gavin remembered lying on the kitchen floor, unable to move a muscle, heart constricted in his chest uncontrollably, his very being hurt and there was nothing he could do but lie there and let everything pass.

The last thing he saw before sleep consumed him was Detroit night sky littered with lights and buzzing sound of occasionally passing cars. The wind let itself through caressing his face and body, lulling him to sleep.

 

* * *

* * *

 

He woke up to the opening of ‘Don’t Fear the Reaper’.

His head was pounding and his chest heavy, he couldn’t clearly remember what happened, and blinked his eyes, as if it would clear the reality that was covered in fog in his mind.

It all came back to him. It felt like slipping on a cold hard floor.

He wished it hadn’t, he wished he could just forget everything.

There was an uncomfortable feeling from the back of his throat running all the way to the depths of his ears, his head felt like it was being stuffed into a helmet that was just a little too tight. Sleeping naked with the window open will do that to you, he thought. But at least now it matched the ache in his chest. At least it materialized into something, and he’s not just wallowing and suffering over nonexistent, made up pain.

His heart was threatening to escape from his mouth and forcing release through his tear ducts. He took a steadying breath. It came out as something shaky and vulnerable.

The pain doubled as he saw the caller ID. He picked up the phone and mentally prepared himself.

“What do you want?” Gavin practically yelled to the phone.

“Detective, its 10 o’clock and you aren’t in the office, we need to interview all possible witnesses in the neighborhood of the crime scene, and I was hoping that we could do that today in order to solve the case faster.” The android’s voice were clipped and formal like the usual.

His chest threatened to crack open at every word the android said, he didn’t know why.

“Right, fuck, I overslept, be there in 30.” Gavin responded, but more speaking to himself than the android on the opposite line.

Had his alarm not wake him up?

He took a quick shower and put on his usual clothing, a pair of heavy dark jeans, a V-neck shirt, and the hoodie hanging from his hanger in the front room. He stopped in front of the door for a while. Then took off the hoodie, put on a change of an old sweatshirt with ‘Detroit Police’ written on it and layered it under a thick leather jacket.

He positively looked warm. He wished he felt as warm as he looked.

As he drove his way to the precinct he couldn’t help but replayed Richard’s voice and words.

It hurts how the android could pretend that they didn’t just find out that they were both meant for each other, that they were soulmates, created from one mold and separated into two souls destined to find their way back together.

He snorted loudly. It was an ugly and selfish sound.

Damn these fucking androids. Fucking turning off and on their damn feelings like the machine that they are.

He wondered if the plastic even felt a pang of hurt.

Gavin chuckled to himself, he doesn’t know what he wants, in one hand he knows even if the android chose to pursue him in any way or displayed some kind of willingness in pursuing their bond he probably would still be against it.

For the fact that Richard was a mere machine.

He was not going to share the rest of his life with a bunch of wires. It was the same with being alone.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

He should’ve specified when he prayed for a soulmate.

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

He pulled his car up to his usual parking spot, detectives having their assigned parking space.

When he walked in he saw RK, _Richard,_ he reminded himself, talking to Connor, both seemingly in a deep conversation.

As he sat down he saw at the corner of his vision Connor patting Richard on the back. A weird act of comfort. Hank nodding to Richard as it walked to its desk opposite Gavin’s.

“Detective.” He greeted Gavin.

Gavin was staring at the android, he couldn’t help himself.

Having a soulmate was something he had always wanted as a child more than anything, he remembered the feeling of isolation as one by one, the people around him, his brother, his friends, had their first marks and went off with their soulmates.

Leaving him all alone.

“Detective, are you alright?” asked RK, voice unusually soft. Gavin almost weep at how much he wanted to just forget about his prejudice towards androids and just be with him.

He just grumbled, emotionally incapable of compromising his anger in any given situation, “I’m fine. Any update on the suspect? Is he human for sure?” He asked, a change of topic and focus needed to distract himself.

Richard sat down in front of him, pulling up a few things on his terminal and sending it to Gavin, “No, I have been assessing the evidence and it seems that we have at least two individuals involved, judging by the intricacies and speed of the murder and display.” RK explained, his voice somehow sounding exhausted.

Gavin frowned, granted the murder was complicated, again, as he had concluded before, it was almost with a purpose, as if proving something.

“Run it by me.”

 “Can you open the third attachment I sent you?” RK said, walking over to Gavin’s side to look at his terminal.

Gavin opened the attachment revealing the body on display and various pictures of detailed parts of it, he felt nauseous. There were a long and detailed report under the pictures, but Richard pointed to the shot of the ribs opened and sawed off halfway revealing an emptied shell of skin lacking any of the organs.

Richard pointed to the sawed off ribs, “The severing of the ribs were done in a precision that a human won’t be able to achieve, the android in question could be a model that was made for assisting in purposes of surgical organ removal.”

“Couldn’t it just be the android that did it then?” Gavin asked, after all it has been developed that though rare, androids were capable of murder of homicidal nature.

Richard nodded next to him, “That was the conclusion that I came to until I see,” Richard reached at his terminal to reveal the next attachment, “The removal of the organs itself has two different patterns, the same precision could be seen in the cleaning up of the hollow chest cavity, but the actual removal of the organs are far more… barbaric would be the right expression I believe.”

And granted Gavin could see the jagged flesh creating something almost like a wall between the hollow chest and the other part of the victim’s body, “So we’re looking for a human and an android working together?” This was peculiar to say the least, there has been no recorded case in which murder were committed together by human and android.

“Positive.”

Richard opened the other attachment, a picture of the victim’s right arm, his vein was still a bluish purple colour. The man didn’t have a soulmate.

“I was trying to find a possible relation to the victim, but he didn’t have any soulmate, nor any close family members, he was working in a coffee shop in central Detroit. We can go visit the victim’s house once the warranty is issued.” Richard said.

“Is the report from the morgue in yet?” He asked, this might be handy and all but it’s better to be safe than sorry by cross checking, and aside from that he doesn’t know how accurate the android’s analysis were, given that this is the first case he ever had with it.

“No, the estimation is two working days, which means we’ll only get it by Monday, which was why I was proposing that we should go on door duty for today, and further analyze the evidence on weekend, given that forensics are scheduled to hand the report in by Saturday.” Richard explained, now standing straight back up.

It made sense, he would’ve done the same thing without the android, “Do you have data on all android series sold by CyberLife?” he asked.

Richard nodded, “I have narrowed down the possible series with surgical capabilities, the MD200 and MD700 are the ones that are capable of executing the murder. There are about 536 units currently active and deviant.”

Gavin nodded his head, “That’s narrow enough, can you track ‘em down? See how many is currently in Detroit or something like that?”

“No, unfortunately deviant androids lose function of their tracker.”

Gavin sighed, this was going to be a huge case he knew that from the beginning, but now it starts to seem even more complicated with two possible perpetrator.

“I might have an idea on how to track down the android, there is one person that might be able to activate these trackers from the main system.” Richard said slowly.

Gavin was not stupid, as soon as the android finished his sentence he knew the person who has the key to all of this, “Elijah.” He said muttered under his breath.

Richard nodded slowly, eye scrutinizing the human in front of him, “Mr. Kamski has the code to access the tracker in all existing androids, though due to the amendment on android rights he was forbidden to release it under any circumstances.”

“Not only that we need to see Elijah we’re gonna break the law doing it.” Gavin groaned.

“Yes, unfortunately. Or we could do it the hard way.”

The way Richard said it made Gavin chuckle, it seemed like the android was wishing they’d just go to Elijah, if he didn’t know that Richard was a machine designed to solve crimes he might have thought it was too lazy to do it conventionally.

Gavin saw the android stiffened when he chuckled, “What? Even if we do it the hard way it’s a small enough number.”

“Yes, but it would also delay the case by at least a month giving time for feds to take our jurisdiction.” Richard said.

Yeah that’s a good enough reason, hungry fucking feds, here and there taking their half solved cases and taking all the recognition.

“If we are indeed going to see Mr. Kamski I  suggest we do that before the door duty, both can be done by today.”

Gavin mulled that over for a few minutes, the whole time he could feel the android’s eyes basically on him like a mathematician solving a complicated problem.

He hadn’t seen Elijah in years, the last time was their father’s funeral which was more than ten years ago, and even then they hadn’t talked to each other and went straight their separate ways as the ceremony ended.

The last time they talked Gavin was 18.

Everything came back to him as if it just happened yesterday, funny how you could ostracize someone from your life but have no choice but to keep the history.

It felt like a cold breeze blows over, it was freezing, even with the precinct’s heater set warm, it felt like thousands of tiny little hands were grabbing him and pulling him apart piece by piece. Gavin sat there as his mind momentarily breakdown, expression somewhat neutral, but eyes reflecting something that was too putrid to ever be brought up.

“Or we could just search Detroit, it is how we find human perpetrators, it was a mere idea that might solve the case faster but in no way the only way to reach the answer.” Richard suddenly said.

Gavin looked up at the android, its face was concerned, looking at Gavin as if expecting he was gonna break apart any second. There was a certain understanding in his expression.

Does it know his relation to Elijah?

“Let’s go door duty first, I’ll think it over.” Gavin said.

Richard nodded, “As it is 12 o’clock, we could leave now and you’ll be able to grab some lunch on our way there.”

“Yep, come on, Tin Can.” He said, he hadn’t even taken his jacket off, it was cold inside anyways there was no need for him to.

As the front door opened the cold chill of winter hits him, triggering a shiver, what he didn’t expect however was the android next to him to do the same thing.

He looked at Richard, almost baffled at what just happened, “What the fuck, Richard?”

Richard’s head turned to look at him almost at an unnatural speed, “You called me by my name.”

Damn, he thought this thing was supposed to be fucking smart, now its fucking astonished just because Gavin called him by his actual name, “Fuck that, did you just shivered because you were cold or were you just trying to fit in?”

They walked now pace a little faster than normal to avoid the cold, it was a good thing that his car warmer had been fixed just before the winter came.

Richard looked at Gavin like it was done with the shit that Gavin fucking said, “I was not doing it just to _fit in,_ Detective. I have temperature receptors which triggers certain reactions in my body involuntary for self-preservation purposes.”

“What you can’t just turn it off?” Gavin asked.

What a cruel thing to give to an android then, make it feel hot and cold but not give it normal fucking clothes.

That’s when it occurred to him. Richard was still wearing its old uniform, hadn’t it been almost two years now since the revolution? If it is truly liberated why the fuck would it keep wearing its CyberLife uniform?

“I can’t, just the way I can’t really turn off my emotions, Detective.”

The conversation ended there as they reached Gavin’s car and both hurried to get in.

He was definitely stopping at Red’s for lunch, he hadn’t had the chance to stop by in a couple of weeks and he craved the food from the old dingy diner, “Are you gonna watch me have lunch like a creep-o or do you eat?” Gavin looked at the android.

He saw the android’s LED blinked yellow for a few seconds.

“I can digest food, but it’s not a necessity.”

Gavin carefully maneuvered his car out and heads to Red’s, “Yeah you’re fuckin eating. Im not having you stare at me while you plot my fucking murder.”

He saw Richard frowned, but the android said nothing.

The rest of the drive were surprisingly okay, not as uncomfortable as Gavin thought it would be. The android just stared out the window the whole journey.

He pulled up in front of Red’s.

Red’s was something like a comfort place to him, he found it the first time just a few months after he worked for the force. It was right next to his old apartment, he used to come there every day for every meal, even after he moved he would still go out of his way just for the habit and familiarity of the place.

He walked in the restaurant, Marco, the usual guy smiled at him and he nodded his head in politeness, “The usual for me, Marco.” Gavin then remembered the android with him, “What do you want?”

Richard looked like a deer caught in headlight.

Gavin stared at him, almost wanting to laugh, “Hey, you okay there, Plastic?”

The android finally turning away from the menu, Gavin could now see that its’ LED was burning a bright red. From the little he had read in the android manual sent to him by Fowler was that red was bad.

“Hey! The fuck’s your problem?” Gavin asked snapping his fingers to get the android’s full attention.

Richard finally shifted his gaze to him, “I’m afraid I can’t come to a decision, I have never tried any form of food or drink, and therefore it is very difficult for me to decide. Maybe it’s better if I just wait.” It said slowly.

Gavin was about to turn heels, but the way the android looked genuinely _confused_ got to him. Fucker had never tried food before. Freaky ass machines.

“Another usual for the bot, Marco!” He yelled over and received a thumbs up in reply.

The pair fell into an awkward silence for a few minutes.

“I have come to the conclusion from the way our victim was treated that between him and the perpetrators there could be a possible intimate relationship.” Richard said, finally breaking the silence.

Gavin stayed quiet for a few moments, “Yeah, they left the face and the hair untouched, the man was clearly above average in terms of looks, do you think it’s to sort of appreciate him or what?”

“I’m currently still speculating, it is supported by enough evidence, however it is in no way a 100 percent guarantee. But the perpetrators might have wanted to cleanse the victim. His face was left untouched, a natural beauty of the victim, but the organs could represent something that goes within the line of inside beauty?” Richard explained, the android itself sounded unsure of his conclusion.

But Gavin spotted the legit point, it might not be exactly that, but a motive like that was common in serial killers, acting as something of a messiah and ‘blessing’ their victims, ‘saving’ them. A sense of superiority.

“Yeah could be, that’s not impossible, it could also be for romantic reasons. Given that the victim didn’t have a soulmate.”

“Why kill him if it was for that reason?” Richard asked, more to himself than to Gavin.

“Jealousy? There were two perpetrators?” Gavin supplied.

“That… is more probable than the scenario I came up with.”

Gavin chuckled, “Yeah, you thought you can replace me huh, Tin Can?”

The android opened its mouth, then closed it again, looking hurt over Gavin’s words, but trying to avoid any possible conflict with the hot headed Detective.

Marco approached the table with two plates filled with a beef burger each and a lump of french-fries, “Here ya go, Gavin” He set one plate in front of Gavin, “Sir.” And the other for Richard.

The android looked surprised at being addressed as ‘Sir’ and gave Marco the most genuine and natural smile Gavin had ever seen on an android.

Is that all it took to make the android happy then? He chuckled to himself.

“Let’s pause the case, I wanna eat.” Gavin said as he took a large full bite out of the juicy burger.

Richard looked at him and slightly tilted its head as it transferred its attention back to the untouched burger, gingerly picked it up, and took a careful bite.

Gavin couldn’t avoid looking at the android, it was like watching a baby taste lemon for the first time. Richard’s face went through multiple confused expression and finally settled on a soft almost shy and satisfied smile as it chewed the burger in its mouth, eyes are still on the food in its hand.

“So how’s it then?” Gavin asked, trying and failing to hide a smile that grew from the android’s antics.

“It’s something I have never experienced before,” It said slowly, then took another, more confident bite this time, “It’s so warm.” Richard said through the food, a dorky smile still on its face.

In moments such as this Richard was almost an exact carbon copy of Connor, Gavin noticed. It was the line of its mouth, He thought, that made Richard look more intense than Connor, it was pulled down at the edges, giving a permanent scowl to its face.

But smiling the android had the same puppy quality with Connor.

Gavin shook his head, and let out an amused sigh.

For a while the puzzle pieces fit into place.

He forgot to dislike the android.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending might seem a bit abrupt, i didnt wanna go on for forever, i know some people dont like long chapters, but hope you like this chapter :)
> 
> i want to bring hank and connor in, i want to give connor a soulmate, probably markus, it wont be hank however cause i have an important dad role coming up for him :D
> 
> if you have any feedback positive or negative please do tell me in the comment!


	3. Chapter 3

All the houses Gavin could see were falling apart.

There were an old couple sitting on their porch, smoking cigarettes, watching his every move, whispering to each other.

“Fuckin creeps.” He muttered under his breath.

“I don’t like this either but it is essential that we assess the neighborhood.” RK replied.

“I know that, Idiot.” He sighed.

Door duty rarely ever gave a lead to an investigation, Gavin knew this, but once in a blue moon, someone would know too much, say too much.

Unfortunately not for this case.

Even Richard looked exhausted.

He shivered.

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

Richard knocked on the last house in the neighborhood, a house just like the others in the neighborhood, Gavin’s car parked right in front of it.

 A lanky man around Gavin’s age opened the door, “Yeah, what?”

“We’re from the DPD currently investigating the murder that was discovered yesterday at 75 Sterling Road, we have a couple of questions for you if you can spare us your time.” Gavin said, almost as mechanical sounding as Connor the first few days of his mission.

“Oh fuck, the rundown house, huh?” The guy asked.

Gavin nodded, “Mind answering a few questions?”

The man stepped away from the door, giving Gavin and Richard room to walk in, “Be my guest, officers.”

“Thanks. “ Gavin mumbled and settled himself down on the couch in the man’s living room.

To their surprise, the house was clean and nicely decorated, looking from the outside nobody would have ever guessed the inside for being anything more than a glorified rat’s farm. Gavin quickly took in as much as he could, seeing in the corner of his sight Richard doing the exact same thing.

The man lowered himself down opposite Gavin, Richard still standing over them both. He didn’t seem to mind Richard’s odd behavior.

“I’m Detective Reed, this is my partner, Detective Richard.”

“You an android?”

Richard shifted his attention from looking around the room to the man and nodded in response.

“If you have a problem with him being here, you can just talk to me.” Gavin said.

Despite androids having the same legal rights now with humans they still often face prejudice, Gavin have heard many occasions in which Connor had to step out from an investigation due to witnesses refusing to talk in the presence of an android.

The man however, shook his head, “No, I’m just asking. My partner is an android, he’s upstairs.”

Well that’s new.

“I’ll fetch him down.” The man said, and stood up, but before he took a step the stairs creaked to reveal a man with blond hair in an oversized shirt and track pants.

“Hi, sorry I couldn’t help but to listen in, I was curious to see who could be visiting.” He said.

“I’m John.” He said extending his hand to both detectives.

“Oh yeah, I haven’t introduced myself, I’m Tom.” The human said, they both took place on the couch in habit, body close to each other without a second thought.

Gavin couldn’t help but drift away at the sight, the android, John, had taken off his LED and if he hadn’t been told that he was an android Gavin could’ve never guessed.

He wondered what Richard would look like in a casual shirt and out of his turtleneck ones, would he look just as human? Why was he having no trouble in perceiving John as anything other than human while he sees Richard as anything but?

“As you know a man was murdered in this neighborhood, have you seen any suspicious behavior in the past week?” Richard asked, filling in the silence.

“I haven’t seen anything weird, it’s just been the usual.” Tom said.

“But there was an android three days ago somewhere around here, I didn’t see him.” John added.

Gavin frowned at that, “How could you know if you didn’t see him then?”

“We could sense another android if they are in proximity, we emit a signal, that’s why even without LEDs or any other indication we know whether someone is an android or not.” John said.

“Do you mind if I probe your memory?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

John stood and extended his hand to Richard. Richard took it and their synthetic skin pulled back revealing a white exoskeleton.

Both humans stared at the connection, it wasn’t exactly something out of the ordinary, androids does these connections all the time, but seeing it up close is something Gavin has never experienced.

It almost seemed like everyone in the room froze during the connection, the two humans silent as if thinking that the androids needed it for focus or something of the sort.

Gavin let out a sigh when Richard and John pulled apart, not realizing he was holding his breath in the first place, and looked at Richard in question.

Richard didn’t heed Gavin’s unsaid question and shifted his attention to Tom, “was there anyone coming and in and out of the neighborhood that you were unfamiliar with?”

Tom shook his head, “No, but then again I don’t really look around that often, there isn’t that much to look at, honestly.”

“Any unusual sounds?” Richard continued.

Tom shook his head again, “No, sorry.”

“Right, you both have been a great help to the investigation, thank you for sparing us your time.” Richard said, Gavin stood up and followed him to exit the house.

He had more questions to ask, but for some reason he trusted Richard in ending the questioning, he must have gathered a lot from probing John’s memory.

And besides he wasn’t feeling all that great, his head was pounding.

He thanked the pair once more before quickly walking to his car, Richard following in his trail.

The sun now setting, adding to his headache, cold sweat bathed his body, making him shiver in the cold open air.

He was trying to will himself to think about the case but he was in too much discomfort, he felt nauseous as he stepped into the car, in the closed space he could feel his lunch threatening to make its way.

“Detective?” Richard asked, voice full of concern and confusion.

Gavin held up his hand, and quickly open the car door just in time to throw up by the side of the road.

He wiped his mouth and felt even more nauseous at the sight and whiff of the smell of fresh vomit and dry heaved, still crouching by the pavement.

He felt someone dragged him up and sat him down, a glass of cold water pushed to his lips.

Gavin drank, the cold ice water settled his stomach and erased the unpleasant lingering taste in his tongue. Only then he looked up to three pairs of eyes, Richard’s hand on his shoulder.

“I’m fine, sorry.” He croaked.

“Drink the water.” Richard said, handing him the glass of water.

If he were feeling slightly better he would have told Richard to fuck off, but he felt like someone just took away all of his energy and drank quietly.

He finished half the glass before handing it back, “I’m fine, thanks for the water.” Gavin said to the partners.

“You could sit down a bit before you go if you want, we don’t mind.” Tom offered, John nodded in affirmation.

Gavin would’ve liked that, but it would be unprofessional to do so, even in his dazed state he knew that.

“No, it’s alright.” He said turning to hold onto his steering wheel but found himself grabbing at empty air, only now realizing that he was sitting in the backseat, he was trying to sit up when he felt Richard’s hand holding him back.

“I’ll drive, it wouldn’t be safe for you to.” Richard said.

Gavin looked around, it felt as if he were looking through a yellowish filter.

He heard the car door closed and Richard thanking the pair of witnesses before he felt the car moved.

He tried to concentrate on not feeling like he’s going to throw up his whole insides and leaned his head back onto the car seat.

The vanilla scented air freshener that he usually loves now being his number one enemy.

“Lie down, Detective.” Richard said.

Gavin managed to groan in response, closing his eyes to block out the light, thinking that it would help manage the throbbing pain in his head, but only finding it multiplied from the car movement.

“Could you take off the air freshener?” He said weakly.

Richard took the hanging air freshener and put it in the dashboard.

“Lie down, Detective.” He repeated.

Gavin slowly lied down, trying to get his head somewhat level, he welcomed the softness of his car seat and closed his eyes.

Before he knew it he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i know this chapter is short and i havent uploaded in a long time, but im starting my dissertation paper hahahaha im sorryy but now the chaos of starting it has ended ill be updating regularly again
> 
> also i also know that this chapter didnt resolve anything im sorry, next chapter would advance the plot more i promise :)
> 
> there were a lot of nice comments that i received! they mean a lot and makes me feel excited to write more, thank you so much to all of you :)


	4. Chapter 4

He felt someone softly pat his shoulder.

“Detective?”

He opened his eyes to a soaring pain in his head and groaned.

“Detective, we’re in your apartment.”

That woke him up, “What?”

“Well, in the parking lot to be exact since I can’t very well drive the car into your flat.” Richard replied dryly, “Flying cars, unfortunately, has not been developed yet.”

“How the fuck do you know where I live.” He squinted at the figure bending over him awkwardly.

“I am an android equipped with many features tailored for solving the most complicated of cases, Detective. Your address isn’t exactly the most difficult thing for me to figure out.”

Gavin carefully sat up, “No need to be so sarcastic, Asshole, I was just asking.” He sighed.

Richard shrugged.

Awfully human gesture for an android, “Now if you could get a move on, that would be great.”

Everything around him tilted slightly, he grabbed to the roof of the car to steady himself.

“Can you walk upstairs?” Richard asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, you can leave me here if you want.” Gavin said, not wanting the android anywhere closer to his flat.

“I have to insist in taking care of you, Detective.” Richard replied, not moving from where he stood, towering over Gavin.

Even if he were feeling well he didn’t want Richard here, let alone now where he just wants to collapse to his bed unbothered.

He can’t handle an awkward air with a pole of an android standing in the middle of his room.

He just needs his cat, to be honest.

“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen, Baymax, and besides I can take care of myself well enough without you, thank you very much.”

Richard stared at him for a few seconds too long, making Gavin twitch uncomfortably under the icy calculating gaze.

“Are you calling me fat, Detective?”

“What?” His confusion at the question overruling the headache.

“Baymax, an inflated healthcare robot? Detective I’m the latest model of CyberLife, it offends me how you would compare me to such concept model.”

Gavin snorted at that, was that a joke? Or was the android genuinely offended he couldn’t figure out, “Right, you’re insecure about that?”  He asked, once again with a smile he couldn’t help surfacing.

The android’s gaze and expression however didn’t change, “it is one thing to be prejudiced towards my kind detective, and it’s another entirely different matter when you’re personally attacking me and the way I was designed.”

A full laugh now escaped Gavin, “That’s where you draw the line?” He asked incredulously.

The android nodded slowly, “Now, if you will allow me to be _Baymax_ we should go upstairs, it’s very cold here.”

“Right, yeah, what do you care, just leave me alone, I’ll be fine.” Gavin said, already making his way to the lift.

“For the success of our case, I require you to be in your optimal state, to be perfectly candid with you, I don’t really have time to nurse you for long. We need to solve this case as soon as possible.” Richard said, trailing behind Gavin.

Gavin felt a sting in his chest at that, why? he couldn’t quite catch, “I’ll be fine tomorrow, I’ll show up sick or not, now scram.” His voice losing the lightness it had a minute ago.

“Is your hearing disturbed, Detective? Perhaps from your illness?” Richard said, grabbing his arm, stopping Gavin in his tracks.

“What?” He asked, now getting unreasonably angry at the android.

“I told you that it would be to both our benefit if you let me take care of you for a little while, if you are uncomfortable with my presence, I will leave as soon as I make sure that you have everything you require to be in full health tomorrow.”

“Fine, come up, Jesus, what is there you want to see so much, huh? Wanna snoop around while I sleep? Is that it?”

The hurt on Richard’s face made Gavin immediately regret what he said.

“I regret to tell you, Detective, that I have no ill intentions such as that.” The android said, “If that is how you perceive me perhaps I have misjudged my position, I’m sorry.” He added, despite the clear exhaustion of Gavin’s behavior, Richard was still standing still in front of the sick man.

Gavin knew there was some sort of manipulation going on with the guilt tripping and everything, because Richard leaving him alone is exactly what he wanted, right?

He blamed it on the headache and nausea when he decided to invite the android to his apartment,

“I don’t want you telling me what to do, or telling me how I live, that clear? Just use whatever shit you can find at my place and shut up about it.”

“If it is to your benefit I’m afraid I will have to disobey your order.” Richard replied, voice now back to its usual sternness.

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

By the time they got to his door he was feeling his exhaustion in full. His vision was swimming, and he relied purely on his muscle memory to open his lock.

The familiar sound of Cat greeting him could be heard before he even opened the door.

He also heard a rustle from where the android was standing behind him, “What, you afraid of cats?” He asked turning to look at Richard.

He heard the android cleared his throat, “No.”

Gavin squinted his eyes at the android, maybe to cope with his headache.

Mostly trying to figure out the android before him.

Not getting any reaction he turned away and entered into his apartment, relaxing slightly at the familiarity of the cramped space.

“Right, do whatever you need to fucking do, if I get another pout from you I’m actually kicking you out, I don’t have the energy to deal with that shit.” Gavin settled in his couch, still not trusting the android 100%.

“I will be as quick as I could.” Richard said, moving to Gavin’s kitchen, maneuvering his way as if familiar with the place for years, knowing exactly where Gavin put all of the ingredients the android required, occasionally opening and closing his fridge and staring a little too long.

From all the things that Gavin could see the android was making him a pot of tea and chicken soup.

He watched from his couch, tilting his head awkwardly, trying to level his head, but be discreet at the same time.

Not really aware of the fact that Richard has a nearly perfect 360 awareness of his surroundings.

But if the android noticed, he didn’t say anything.

The way the tall and somewhat lithe body of the android moved through his kitchen was swift and almost fluid, differing from Gavin’s usual stumbling and shuffling. He reminded Gavin of a tree in his childhood home backyard that towers over everything, where he would sit under for hours, shielding him from the blazing sun and giving him a calm cold breeze.

He didn’t feel like the android was intruding in anyway, and as before, the awkwardness that he dreaded so much never came. All that he felt was a comfortable silence and an occasional clinking of whatever the fuck Richard was doing.

He hasn’t thought about having a soulmate in such a long time, for a while now he has been fighting that very want within himself, and now he’s seeing Richard so close, in his apartment, cooking for him of all things.

But Gavin couldn’t reach him, Richard was too cold, too unfamiliar, and too alien in every possible way for him to truly understand.

He got rid of that thought before it even began.

He glanced at the wall clock, it was still early, showing 16.00.

Gavin felt horrible, they could be doing a lot more shit on the case, granted the forensics report are only supposed to come back tomorrow, but there was no loss in reanalyzing what they have as it is.

They still haven’t fully figured out what the motive could be.

They have nothing. Gavin realized.

The android was right, they don’t really have time for him to be sick.

He brought himself up and reached to the drawer below his living room bookcase, where he stored all of his medication for unexpected illnesses, took a painkiller, and swallowed it dry.

He gagged at the taste, his throat rejecting to take the pill.

He doesn’t know why he even tried doing that, it never went on without him having to scramble for a glass of water.

He walked into the kitchen seeing Richard already filling a glass with tap water and handing it to him, “Is it the thrill? Or is it pure stupidity?” He asked, waving around a ladle in front of Gavin’s red face.

Gavin gulped down the water, trying to get the bitter taste out of his tongue, “The laziness to get a fucking glass of water.” He croaked.

Richard nodded and shifted his attention back to the bubbling chicken soup in front of him, “I didn’t expect to find any cooking material in your apartment to be honest, I didn’t take you as someone who cooks, Detective.”

Gavin put the empty glass down, willing the painkiller to just kick in already, “I need to pass physical, if I eat fucking burgers everyday I’d be Anderson quicker than I could wink.”

“Please refrain from saying anything disrespectful about Lieutenant Anderson.” Richard said, with humor in his voice.

“What? You know him or something? I thought you just got to DPD?” Gavin asked, genuinely curious why every android in the whole of Detroit seems to know Anderson. Granted, Gavin has only ever talked to a handful of them all his life.

Richard turned to look at him and seemed to mull over something in his head, LED turning a subdued yellow, “I live with Lieutenant Anderson and Connor at the moment.” He finally answered, looking away.

Gavin noticed that the android looked somewhat ashamed of that fact, “Does he run a fucking android orphanage or something?”

That got him a glare from Richard, “Detective, I mean it, refrain from saying anything bad about the Lieutenant.”

“What gonna come crying to dad?” Gavin teased.

“No, I don’t have full control of my core programing yet, when I’m in sleep mode there is very high chance of me projecting most of what I do in a day.” Richard explained, “It’s not dangerous, and only few androids, four to be exact, can pick my frequencies, unfortunately I live with one of them. Connor is already weary of you, if he hears any of that, it’s beyond my control.” He added.

“Whatever you said I only hear a threat of you revealing something about our case to some random android.” Gavin said, what Richard said sounded like something that should be taken care of, what if he revealed some important fucking information by accident? Isn’t there some sort of stability tests for androids before they get a fucking job?

He heard Richard sighed, “I’ve told you, it’s not dangerous, and I have a clearance from CyberLife that states I am in full operational condition, I’ll send you a copy if that what it takes for you to not antagonize me like some criminal.”

That made Gavin flinch.

Was he that bad to the android? He wasn’t being nice to him, but surely he wasn’t treating the android badly, he’s actually being fucking nice compared to how he treated Connor the first few months.

Before Gavin could say anything Richard turned off the stove and turned around walking through Gavin, seemingly avoiding Gavin’s eyes, only stopping in the living room to awkwardly turn around, “I hope I’ll see you at the precinct tomorrow, Detective, get well soon.”

Before Gavin could think of anything his autopilot, or his useless conscience, seems to take over, “Wait,”

Richard finally met his eyes, though clearly reluctant to do so.

Gavin might be a romantic deep down, but he was never good _at_ romantics, but he wasn’t wooing Richard so, “Uh, thanks.”

The android only nodded his head and made his way to the door, staring just a little too long at his cat, face unreadable, before finally making his exit.

Well.

If Gavin’s head was pounding before, now he’s positive the android just gave him a full-on goddamn whiplash.

In his daze, painkiller already kicked in, making him feel woozy and airy, he put more food on Cat’s bowl and changed the water, deciding that he’ll deal with the litter tomorrow.

He walked to the kitchen and dished out some soup that Richard made.

If he was being honest, this is probably the first time in 20 years anyone has ever cooked purely out of genuine care for him.

He felt delusional, like he was stretching the truth of the reality, but he let himself have the momentary feel of comfort.

He ate in silence, with the shuffling of Cat walking around the apartment, and sipped the warm tea, watching a rerun of FRIENDS.

After quickly washing the dishes he finally changed to his pyjamas and threw himself on the bed.

The combination of his stomach finally settling down, the painkiller, and the general exhaustion his body was feeling, as soon as he touched the soft fabric of his sheets, he was out like a light.

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

Gavin’s bedroom light turned on gradually at 5 o’clock, gently waking him up.

He opened his eyes, blinking the leftover sleepiness away, stretching across slowly, and grunting in the process.

There was a chirp in protest.

“Sorry, go back to sleep.” Gavin said, as he dragged himself to the shower, feeling miles better than he did yesterday, but the pain in his head still persistent, even without the body ache.

He decided to take a cold shower since his fever hasn’t gone away yet, maybe it’ll lower his temperature.

He came out the shower shivering violently, teeth chattering and hands shivering so much he struggled to reach for the large towel hung in his bathroom.

Maybe a cold shower wasn’t the solution then.

He put his clothes on in almost record speed, trying to race the coldness from reaching the depth of his bones.

Fuck, he can’t do this, he needs to be in office today.

The forensics report comes back today, and he hasn’t even heard of what the android got from the witnesses yesterday.

Risking going to work like this was too much, spreading flu would doubtfully help him solve any case, if anything he’ll only get suspended.

There was a middle ground however.

Thank god androids don’t catch colds, he thought as he rang Richard’s number.

‘Tall Connor’ read on his phone screen, the silence of the room at early dawn amplifying the each ring on his speakerphone.

Gavin opened the window, putting the phone down on the windowsill, lighting up a cigarette.

Finally a, “Detective?” answered.

Richard sounded like he was woken up by the call, do androids sleep every night? Gavin knew they need to charge once in a while but he never heard one that has to go on sleep mode regularly like a human would.

“Hey Baymax, you sleeping or something?”

He heard a rustling sound from the opposite line, “I needed to recalibrate, and a self-induced coma would be a better human behavior equivalent.” Richard said almost offhandedly, voice still heavier than normal.

“So, sleep?”

Silence stretched just a little too long and Gavin wanted to laugh at the idea that he caught the android having a dumb moment.

“Never mind that, why did you call me so early in the morning, Detective?”

“Yeah, about that, listen, I don’t think I can go to the office yet, I mean, if I force myself to go, I’d be fine but I’m-“

“I hope there is a point coming up, Detective.”

“Right, Robocop is not a morning person, go figure. Instead of me giving everyone in the office the flu, I think it’s better if we talk about the case here, you can pick up the forensics before you get here.” Gavin said.

He heard a grunt in assent from the android, “I will be there at our usual working hours, Detective.”

Gavin hung up without saying anything further to the android.

He took a long drag from his cigarette, ashing it off the window, flakes of ashes rained down, disappearing, swept away by the wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im late by 6 hours of my two day update promise im sorry (':
> 
> and i have a free weekend, if you have any idea for a fanart i should do feel free to tell me :)) 
> 
> love you :)


	5. Chapter 5

Gavin opened all the case files he had brought home the first day, he wasn’t supposed to do that, and there is always an online copy available from the database, but he works better with physical paper.

God that makes him sounds old.

He still has around two hours until Richard would show up.

Gavin was about to open the evidence files when he heard a knock on his door.

He frowned and reached to the large umbrella by the door.

He doesn’t get visitors, and Richard couldn’t get here that fast even if he left straight away after Gavin called him.

He cursed not having the peep hole thingy installed.

“Reed, open up.”

Gavin yanked the front door open at the voice, startling the man outside, “Anderson?” He asked, voice a bit too high pitched for his liking.

“Let me in.”

Again, in his defense he was taken off guard and his head wasn’t working properly.

He opened the front door to let Anderson in.

Anderson didn’t need to be invited in, he walked inside, quickly looking around Gavin’s place as if judging him for every little dust that’s on his furniture.

“The fuck do you want, man.” Gavin asked, now crossing his arm in front of him, still standing by the front door.

Gavin had a picture of what Anderson wants to say to him, but he would never guess that the man was gonna show up on his doorstep at 6 o’clock in the goddamn morning.

The man doesn’t even show up to the office any minute earlier than 10 for fuck’s sakes.

“If there is someone here that should be holding a weapon, it’s me.”

Gavin was confused at that until he realized he was still holding the umbrella awkwardly between his armpits. He threw the umbrella to the floor a little too defensively, “Seriously, why are you here?”

Anderson finally stopped judging his whole way of living and face him, body language mirroring that of Gavin’s, “I want to know what the fuck you did to Richard.”

Gavin rubbed his face tiredly, he was feeling better five minutes ago, now the open window looks like a good dive jumping point.

“I didn’t do anything to him, if you’re here to lecture me on treating him better or some shit I’m trying, alright?”

Hank scoffed, “He started acting fucking weird when he got assigned to you, Asshole. Fucking Connor won’t tell me anything about it, and I’m not gonna let you fuck him over, you hear? So you better fucking tell me what’s going on.”

Gavin would rather die than tell anyone else about his personal life, let alone Anderson, but he’s slowly losing his patience, “I’m not fucking him over, he’s got his own problems and I’m not it, alright? You’re barking up the wrong tree here, you old shit.”

There was a quick shuffling and he saw Anderson moved quickly towards him, but before he could react he was pinned against the wall, the back of his head hitting it too hard, causing the corner of his vision to bleed away. His headache doubled and he felt coldness wash over his body.

“You fucking asshole.” Hank growled, “If you think just because Fowler assigned him to you I’m gonna let you do the same shit you pulled back then, you’re wrong.”

Anderson let go of his hold on him, too weak to hold himself upright, he crumpled to the floor trying to find his breath back.

 “I didn’t fucking do anything.” He said, too vulnerable sounding for his liking.

“Right, whatever it is this _act_ you’re putting up, it’s not working.” Anderson said, losing the venom he had a second ago, as he waved his hand around Gavin’s fallen form.

Gavin sighed and stood up shakily, facing the older man.

It always annoys him how tall everyone is compared to himself, Anderson is probably a good few inches taller than him.

“Listen, if you’re gonna come into my house and beat me up for something I have no control over, you’re welcome to do it.” Gavin said, now walking over to his living room.

Leaving the older man to stew in his anger.

His couch looked more comfortable than it has ever been.

He heard Anderson moved from behind him, “You didn’t do anything? Tell me why then the kid has been looking like you murdered his dog.”

Gavin thought over just telling the man, whether it was his place or not to reveal his connection to the android.

He really did want to.

It would be a so much burden lifted off his shoulder to be able to talk to someone about it. He knew that Anderson wasn’t a bad guy, despite the gruffness, he saw the man before his downfall.

At his peak the man was nothing short than admirable. Gavin certainly idolize the man the first few years of his career.

Even after the alcohol, the acting out, the showing up late, and the general air of depression he had around him, Anderson never failed to close a case.

And for that Gavin still has something reminiscent to respect for the man.

But this was another matter entirely.

Almost like a fate written on a piece of paper, another knock came to his door, this time less urgent, like a new neighbor nervous to introduce themself.

Both men turned their direction to the door, Anderson passing him a glance in question. Gavin nodded his head, signaling Anderson to welcome their new guest. Already knowing who was waiting at the door.

Anderson opened the door to reveal the man of the talk.

“As I expected.” Richard said, staring down at Anderson in disapproval.

Apparently nobody bothers with pleasantries anymore.

Gavin wanted to laugh at how much the situation has turned.

This morning is easily the most interesting thing that has happened to him in years.

Scratch that, this past couple of days has taken him on a roller-coaster ride he didn’t stand in line for.

“Are you ok, Detective?” Richard turned to him, ignoring the reddening older man in front of him.

“Yeah, just-“ Gavin sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time the past minute, “Fuckin’ take care of your dad.” He continued, nursing his own pulsing head in his arms.

“You won’t say a word when I ask you what was happening, so I decided to go straight to your source of problem.” Hank said, finally closing the front door, giving them privacy from the probably peering neighbors.

Richard shook his head slowly, “Hank, I can assure you that Detective Reed has not done anything to cause my condition.” He said slowly.

Hank looked over both of the in turn. It was a gaze Gavin has not seen in a long time.

Something paternal and protective.

“Yeah, what do you both fucking take me as, huh? I might be a sad sack of an alcoholic but I still have eyes and a functioning brain, spill.”

Gavin lifted his eyes from the floor to look at Richard, and was met with an identical conflict.

“It’s none of your business, Anderson.”

“It’s very well my goddamn business if you’re making him go and fucking ‘recalibrate’ as soon as he gets home every fucking night.” Hank said.

Whatever that fucking means, Gavin had nothing to do with that, he knows nothing of that.

But if Richard decides to tell Hank of what is going on he wouldn’t blame the android.

Anderson was smart, and once he set his mind to something there is no chance he’s not getting it. He was the youngest lieutenant for a reason.

“Just fucking tell him if you want, if not, I don’t care.” Gavin finally said.

And for the first time he saw just how _human_ Richard was.

The android stood there, expression lax and resigned, thoroughly _sad and confused._ His body was hung low, contrasting with the usual rigidity that he always seemed to have.

If it wasn’t for the constricting turtleneck he was wearing Gavin was sure the android would be downcast.

He seemed so overwhelmed.

Gavin wanted to beat himself up knowing that he was the one causing that look on the android.

Now he understands why Anderson came barging in.

“The fuck is going on.” Hank asked, gentleness directed at Richard that Gavin has never heard came from the man before.

Richard looked up at Gavin once more.

If only he knew how to get rid of that sadness from the android.

His heart ached for Richard, his own long forgotten.

Curse this, Gavin wanted to sob.

He walked over to the abandoned pen on his coffee table, stacked under a pile of case files and quickly dragged a straight line on his arm.

He saw Richard flinch at the sudden connection.

Hank stared at them both, for the first time truly quiet.

It didn’t take the Lieutenant any more than a second to connect the dots.

Everyone in the room was holding their breath, Richard’s simulated one silenced over the heavy air in the room.

Gavin felt like he was going down a spiral.

He felt his vision blurred.

He never realized how much he was fighting it until now, feelings pent up for years now threatening to spill, he tried holding back his tears.

But he has already failed.

He was focusing on his breath now, dragging in as much air as he could manage to wall off the incoming outburst.

His attention on the black line on his arm, the knowledge that the very same one showed up in the android’s not five feet away from him crushed his chest.

He remembered the nights of longing, the desperation he felt every time someone close to him got a soulmate, the sadness he felt every time a friend got married, feeling ostracized and forgotten.

Accepting for a fact that he would probably die having nobody to remember him by.

The days where he would imagine someone coming into his life, where he would feel a graze back from his soulmate, days where he could come home to anything other than emptiness and silence, days where he could _be_ with someone.

The rush of blood in his head was too loud to hear anything from the two intruders standing in his apartment.

He saw both of them through the veil of unshed tears.

Willing them not to fall.

When they do it will all become the reality.

How truly lonely he was, how desperate he was, and how much he had been avoiding any other person from having a remotely meaningful relationship with him.

They all leave in the end. They always do and they always will.

And it’s so much easier to just not let them in to begin with.

He might be used to loneliness.

But he could never ignore the want for a relationship, for someone to talk to and see.

“Gavin?”

He finally snapped out of his own headspace.

Richard and Anderson were now a couple of steps closer to him than they were before.

Anderson reached a hand out to him, like you would when approaching a wild animal, “You ok?”

Gavin almost snapped at the uncharacteristic behavior when a sob escaped him instead of words.

“Ah, shit.” Anderson said, running a hand through his greasy hair. There was no actual harm to his voice, it was only ridden with worry and a sense of abashment.

There was no use hiding it now, Gavin decided, he was beyond any point of return.

He let all of it out.

Sobs coming softly at first, standing awkwardly, as if giving a form of entertainment for his guests.

He felt the stares but he couldn’t help himself anymore.

Like an abrupt give of a dam, there was no stopping it until it settles on its’ own.

He felt ashamed, embarrassed, and disgustingly weak.

He expected a slamming door, a slap to put him back to his place, a nasty stare.

All he got was a tight and abrupt hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another chapter that doesnt advance the case plot im so sorry :') please give me another chance :"
> 
> btw thank you so much for your comments, when i said they mean the world to me, i genuinely mean it, thank you to all of you!
> 
> love you!


	6. Chapter 6

He never knew he needed it.

A connection.

Something to make him feel alive.

He has been convincing himself for the longest time that he could survive alone.

That there was no need for anybody else in his life but himself.

Because no one is going to enter his life.

But now, the only thing keeping him alive were the arms around him, the soothing gesture they are making, and the quiet reassurances muttered by the owner.

“I’m sorry.” He heard Richard whispered to him, voice so genuinely apologetic it hurts Gain.

Richard got it so wrong.

Oh so wrong.

An ugly snort escaped him, startling both his guests.

“You’re so fucking dumb.” He said, voice strained and stiff, but a newfound sense of lightness that hasn’t been present for the past 20 years could be heard.

He felt the soothing motion on his back stopped, and the body embracing him stiffened.

Gavin cursed himself and pulled away, and was only met with a face of hurt on Richard, and one of anger on Hank, one similar to the start of the conversation.

“Why the fuck are you the one saying sorry for all this? I’m the one who is fucked up beyond repair, you’re getting damaged goods here, you don’t want anything to do with-“ He paused and blindly gestured to himself, choked tears preventing him from explaining, his voice was becoming more frantic by the second.

“Enough.”

Gavin lifted his head to the eldest man in the room.

Hank had his head down low, not facing the newfound soulmates, staring blankly at the floor, “You beating yourself up for that is not gonna change a thing.” He continued.

Gavin has never been spoken to this way before, so much feeling was thrown into such few words, almost unrecognizable of the man he thought he knew.

He paused to let Anderson continue.

“Obviously both of you need to sort this out.” Anderson said, looking up, “I want you two to _talk, just talk,_ about this whole thing, no case, no nothing, Connor and I can handle it for today, Fowler doesn’t need to know.”

Both the detectives opened their mouth to protest, but before any words could be uttered Hank raised his pointed finger to silence them both, “Or I swear to god I will kick some sense into you two.”

Gavin wanted to.

Talk to Richard about it, for some reason having someone else know about their connection, about him and Richard made it feel way more,

_Real._

Androids be damned, he still wanted to throw himself over a bridge either way, and obviously it doesn’t matter.

But he can’t his personal life affects his work, it was the only thing he hadn’t fucked up.

“We’ll only need half the day, if you could fetch the forensics report and have Connor analyze the basics, have him send over everything by noon.” Richard said, he was sounding just a little off, “We’ll carry everything from there.”

It really does sound like a good halfway point, Gavin curse the android for being able to think clearly when he was mentally a total wreck.

Hank nodded and made his way out, “Figure this out, both of you, if you need anything, I’m here.”

The words were said so nonchalantly, but they hold so much meaning to Gavin.

Nobody, he tried to recall, nobody, has ever offered him something like that.

He knew it was his own fault, but the pain was still present, it doesn’t make it less painful knowing that the pain was self-inflicted.

The door closed over and silence hangs over the air like a suffocating drape.

Gavin finally decided to look at Richard, he didn’t want to, but something was pulling him to do it, almost like a thirst to do so.

Richard too, he realized, was probably confused, if not more, god knows how long the android has been alive, certainly not long enough to be dealing with the mess that Gavin Reed was.

“I don’t know what to do.” Richard said slowly, voice hesitant, if only Gavin knew the answer, he has been trying to figure out what to do for his whole life, still coming up with nothing.

But he wanted to help the android, If only he knew, the key to solve the android’s problem, which was him, Gavin.

He wanted to cradle the android in his arms just like he did a few moments ago, to repay him with the same warmth and support.

But he still felt like everything was too much, the world was lighter and heavier and the same time, almost like having a veil lifted just for another one to cover his eyes.

He wanted to help and be helped.

“I’m not really good at this sorta thing.” Gavin finally said, voice still heavy with sadness.

But he felt it.

He felt the wall that he had just crushed, slowly creeping up again and closing back all his emotions.

He was again, as always, starting to disassociate from his feelings.

Before he could feel the embarrassment coming in full force, something he had always felt over showing a hint of feelings to any person, he quickly reached out and gave Richard the tightest hug he could.

Begging him not to go the only way he knew how, the only way he could, he was not good with words, but if he couldn’t persuade the android to stay through words, he was going to do it physically.

Now Richard was going to have to peel him off at least, before going away, Gavin hoped that would kill him in the process.

Because losing this would probably be his last straw.

He couldn’t survive through another rejection.

At the least he would die somewhat happy knowing someone was there, someone was meant to be with him.

At least he wouldn’t die truly alone.

He felt the arms awkwardly pressed on his sides circle and tightened around him once more, reminding him of the comfort he had and missed just a minute ago.

“I’m really sorry that I don’t know how to comfort you, Detective.”

Gavin nearly laughed.

The relief was flooding him.

Richard wasn’t going away.

He let himself melt into the androids arms, wondering if Richard was growing uncomfortable at the length of time the hug has lasted.

But he needed this, Gavin needed this, he has went through so many years supplying his own warmth.

The feeling of another, unfamiliar body pressed against him was filling the void in his heart.

Slowly turning the season from a long winter.

“You’re doing a pretty good job right now.” Gavin said, and felt the android press his face onto his shoulder slightly, almost too afraid to do it.

Both getting comfort from the gesture, the hug said and lasted as it needed, when Gavin pulled away, both immediately crave the contentment of it.

They stared at each other for some time, recognizing each other for the first time, truly acknowledging the presence of the other.

Something neither knew existed deepens at that moment.

“Hank said we need to talk.” Richard pointed out.

Gavin sighed at that, it was something he was looking forward to and dreaded at the same time.

He was bad at social interactions that doesn’t involve angry shouting in general, let alone a heart to heart talk with your supposed soulmate.

Gavin was gonna botch this up one way or another, he knew it.

But one thing he knew was, he wanted Richard to know that he doesn’t want him out of his life, or further away than he currently was.

And if talking is all it takes, damn it if he wasn’t going to rap his way into Richard’s heart.

“Can we sit down? I’m kind of tired.” Gavin said, sluggishly walking to the dinner table, Richard setting himself down on the chair next to him.

“You haven’t eaten much since I left, and your temperature is still quite high.” Richard said, facing Gavin fully and pressing his face closer under scrutiny.

“I told you I’m still feeling kinda off.” Gavin explained.

Richard then stood up and opened the cupboard where he stores his plates and bowls, then dished out two portion of soup after quickly heating it up.

He set one up in front of Gavin, along with utensils, and one in front of himself.

No words were spoken through the whole ordeal, it’s starting to be apparent that Hank’s instructions for them to _just talk_ wasn’t gonna go down that easily.

“Please eat.” Richard said, gesturing towards the set bowl with his own spoon.

Gavin just looked at him in mild amusement, he had found the android’s first encounter with food fascinating, he hid it then, he shouldn’t have to now, he realized.

“Do you get, like, hungry?” He asked, slurping at the warm soup slowly. After the whole ordeal, it really was refreshing.

Richard shook his head, “I wanted to eat, not for hunger, but I figured you’d like the company.” He said, “And besides you said you don’t want me staring at you like a creep while you eat.”

Gavin knew that Richard was only stating facts, and that he really did said something along those lines, but knowing that he probably said worse killed him a little inside.

He hadn’t started any sort of relation to the android and he’s already hurting him.

“Detective, please, I can’t take all this self-loathing in one night.” Richard said, he was focused on Gavin, and his tone of voice was somewhat joking and light, “Yours and mine combined is enough for the world.”

Gavin laughed at that, since when does androids _do_ self-loathing, “Happens to you too, huh?”

Richard nodded with more passion than he should have, “We can’t just have the nice things, we got what we wanted, emotions, but along with that is the ugliness of it too.”

It was somewhat sad, Gavin knew, but the way Richard spoke about it reminded him of his days back in high school and how he would both joke and feel about the things he was struggling with at the same time, maybe the android has the same coping mechanism he did back then.

“Had the chance to feel embarrassed yet?” Gavin dared to ask.

The android looked up from his soup to meet his gaze for a second before quickly throwing his gaze around the room, as if searching for something suspicious in his apartment, “Is Connor putting you up to this?” He asked finally, voice genuinely accusing.

“No, what? Was it _that_ embarrassing?” Gavin asked, now scooting his chair closer to close the space between the both of them.

Richard was still not looking at him in the face, and his face was somewhat pinkish in colour more than it usually was.

“It was one of the more confusing and unwanted emotion I have felt.” Richard said.

“Sounds like embarrassment, yeah, what’s the story, come on.” Gavin said, it was like seeing a really good movie trailer, it put him on the edge of his seat, literally.

“You know I told you that I tend to project when I recalibrate?” Richard asked.

Gavin remembered their earlier conversation that morning, “Shit, is this going where I think it’s going?”

Richard threw him a dirty look, but didn’t say anything, “I might have projected my earlier confusion with a…, kitchen equipment.” He finally said slowly.

Well that was anticlimactic, Gavin thought he projected some sort of nasty shit to every android on the block or something.

“That doesn’t sound that bad, what was it?” Gavin asked, the story was shit, but he enjoyed Richard talking about himself.

“Every time you feel something for the first time, it multiplies its effects on you, Detective, I’d appreciate it if you don’t discredit me this way.” Richard said, the slight tone of sarcasm almost escaped Gavin, once it hits he was chuckling at the remark.

“It was a kettle, I put milk in it thinking that it would warm up any substance.” Richard continued.

Now Gavin was full on laughing, “What was it not on your advanced prototype database thing? Couldn’t you just Google that kind of shit?”

Richard raised his spoon, “Listen, I thought it held liquids, substance, milk fits that criteria, it was false advertising.”

Gavin nodded, “You know what, it is bullshit that I have to pull out a pan to warm milk, and I think I agree with you,” He chuckled, chewing through the little chicken chunks in the soup,“ What did you need warm milk for anyways? Anderson likes a cup of warm milk before bed or something?” He snorted.

Richard fell abruptly quiet at Gavin’s words, Gavin unable to see the now yellow LED.

Gavin looked at Richard, worried that he has said something wrong to the android to cause the reaction.

“I found it helps with my recalibrating.” Richard finally said quietly.

Gavin stilled.

Helps with his recalibrating? 

Shit.

The android likes warm milk before sleep.

Gavin stared at Richard, “You’re so fucking adorable.” He blurted out before thinking twice.

Richard’s head snapped to stare at him, “Detective, I’m a machine built to track down criminals, and hunt them down calculatingly, there is no quality in me that was designed to be _adorable.”_

Gavin tsk-ed, “Ok, first of all, I think we are past first name basis at this point, you could probably call me by my goddamn middle name, and second, maybe you were designed for that but look at where we are right now, eating soup and talking about feelings, and you like warm milk before you go to sleep, I think that argument is moot.”

Richards gaze on him changed at what he said, it was something soft, grateful, contented.

He remembered that gaze distantly.

The way Chloe looked at Elijah.

 “Thank you, Gavin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when i said slow burn i meant slow fucking burn, huh
> 
> im sorry :')
> 
> the next chapters are gonna be case related, im so sorry it took so long to get back to it!
> 
> thank you once again for all the comments! they motivate me so much :) 
> 
> love you


	7. Chapter 7

Gavin decided that he liked the android calling him by his first name.

It was a level of intimacy that Gavin was no longer familiar with.

“Do you mind me asking something?” Gavin proposed.

Richard hadn’t shifted his gaze from before, and nodded slowly, smile still plastered on his face.

“Why are you using that uniform? I mean it’s been a pretty long time since the liberation, I get with the LED, but even Connor shed off those glowy skechers jackets.”

Richard’s LED shifted a yellow colour, his face welcomed a frown in exchange of the pleasant smile before it, “I don’t have any casual clothes just yet, I was planning to get mine after my first salary, Hank has offered to buy me some, but I felt I was burdening him.” He explained.

Gavin knitted his brows together, “How long have you been…” He paused, not really knowing how to phrase the question in a way that wouldn’t offend the android in front of him.

“Alive?” Richard read his mind, but he chuckled in seeing the confusion on Gavin.

Gavin just nodded awkwardly.

“Two weeks.” Richard answered.

To say Gavin’s eyes widened would be an understatement of the year, of all time maybe.

To Richard, Gavin was acting entirely unreasonable by standing up and pacing the room at his answer, “Mind you, Gavin, it’s not like I have the mental capacity of a two week old human baby.” He said, trying to lighten Gavin’s obvious worry.

Gavin stopped in his tracks and stared at the android in front of him, eyes full of guilt, “I thought you were made like, the same time as Connor or something, its’ just, I didn’t expect that.” Gavin sighed.

To both their surprise, Richard laughed at that, a genuine full laugh that startled Gavin to the core, “I was, if that what you were concerned about, CyberLife isn’t making any new androids. By two weeks I meant the length of time I’ve been deviant.”

Still surprised by Richard’s laugh Gavin stood still for a while.

“What were you doing before then?” He asked.

Richard tilted his head a little at that, “I can’t say I have a perfect recollection of it, for obvious reasons, but mostly I have been doing undercover government intelligence work and such.”

Gavin hurriedly sat back opposite Richard dragging his chair and plastered his face in front of Richard, the android pulled back by reflex.

“Are you telling me you were with the feds?” Gavin squinted his eyes, but obvious awe was in his voice.

Richard shook his head, a playful smile on his face, “No, I wasn’t tied to any organization, my existence was somewhat of a government secret, until I became deviant and found Connor.”

“What pushed you? I mean, I don’t know the half of it, but I know that you have to be like, ‘woken up’ or some shit.” Gavin said, finally pulling back, folding his arms on his chest, eyes open and curious about the figure in front of him.

His ever mysterious soulmate.

A two week old former James Bond that likes milk before bed.

Gavin hid a pinch to his bicep to make sure he wasn’t just high on some shit.

Richard nodded his head again at that, “I didn’t remember very clearly, but I remembered a cat that sort of started it all.”

“What do you mean you don’t remember?” Gavin was worried over the android in front of him, such a short amount of time being alive and yet so much fucking baggage already.

Gavin saw Richard’s LED flickering from red to yellow, he wanted Richard to stop thinking about whatever was burdening him, but he knew for a fact that if the android didn’t let it out it would just stunt his emotional state.

“Unfortunately most of my memories relating to any classified information were deleted, with it the slow process of my arrival at deviancy.” Richard said, finally looking up at Gavin, his LED now a steady yellow.

Gavin wanted to comfort him, he has already put Richard into so much shit in the past couple of days.

Gavin smiled at the android, “Yet you remember a cat being there, huh?”

Richard mirrored his expression, there was a new glint in his eyes that Gavin hasn’t seen before, “It was a black cat, and I didn’t see him at first cause he blended in with the black marble floor.” Richard’s eyes distant, replying the memory in his vision of the cat bundling up on the floor, two wide green eyes staring at him.

Gavin’s smile grew wider, “You became deviant ‘cause you saw a cat?”

Richard chuckled, “I wish, no, that was probably the start of it all, it took another year and a half for me to deviate, which was two weeks ago.”

“Fuck, that’s a long time, huh? How come you didn’t deviate earlier with the others? Isn’t it the law?” Gavin asked.

Richard thought it over for a few seconds, “It was longer than it needed to be, but my model was built specifically to leave no room for deviation, as you probably know the case before the liberation, but it all came to it anyways, and I barely remember any of it.”

Gavin could see that Richard was trying to hold back his feelings in telling the story, not remembering half of your life fuckin sucked, and Gavin wanted to punch everyone that was involved in Richard’s suffering because of it.

Richard was now somewhat slumping over the table, looking absently at the wood table in front of him, though posture seemed lazy, he was still upright and rigid. Gavin honestly think he never really looked comfortable in any situation.

“You weren’t woken up with the others then?” Gavin dared to press more into the matter.

Richard however, just shook his head softly, and looked at Gavin with a pair of sad eyes that the human has seen reflected on the mirror too many times before.

“I’m sorry.” Gavin tried to say in the most genuine way he could, but to his ears it still doesn’t show how much he cared about the other.

It’s funny how quickly you can become attached to someone in a short amount of time.

If he was being honest to himself Gavin was dead scared.

The last time he ever had a heart to heart talk with anyone was probably more than a good decade or two ago.

But here he was putting and giving his heart on the table for an android he barely knew for two days.

And the other doing pretty much the same thing.

God, Richard must be so goddamn fucking scared, Gavin thought.

He looked up to face Richard, the android looking at him, expression puzzled.

“Why? I mean, it wasn’t anyone’s mistake at the end, granted some things could have been better, but I am deviant now, and I’ve met Connor and Hank, and I’ve met you, I don’t regret going through the things I did.” Richard said, voice open, completely bare for Gavin.

Words sent goosebumps throughout Gavin’s body, the honesty Richard was displaying almost too much for him, said so nonchalantly words that would have taken Gavin a lifetime to utter.

He was detecting a pattern from the Andersons.

Gavin chuckled and looked at the android, eyes full of admiration, “That’s really fucking mature for a two week old.”

Richard laughed at his joke, and slumped further down the chair, looking absolutely ridiculous.

Gavin could only stare at the man in front of him, the picture making absolutely zero sense in his head, “You know slumping would work better if you’re not wearing that goddamned neck brace all the damn time.” He pointed out in humour.

Richard tugged at is collar, “I really don’t have any other garments to compare this one to, I have to settle for this one at the moment, all is well.” He said, but still playing with the corner of the collar that seemed to dig into his flesh.

That was it, Gavin got up and went to his bedroom closet, trying to find one of his oversized sweatshirt he use for pyjamas, pulling one out a navy one with ‘Detroit Police Academy’ written on it.

He went back outside to see Richard, finding the android looking at him curious, he dropped the sweatshirt on Richard’s lap.

“Gavin-“

Gavin quickly shushed the android, “It’s an old thing, I don’t wear it anymore, and it was from way back when, just fuckin wear it, ok?” He stared at the android, trying not to waver under Richard’s ice blue eyes.

“What made you think I’m gonna take yours and not Hank’s.” Richard asked jokingly, but turning around the sweatshirt in his hands.

Gavin scoffed, “Cause Anderson’s sense of style is basically ‘Homeless and Depressed of the 10s’”

What Gavin said caused a snort from Richard, “Valid, and why I didn’t from Connor?”

Gavin rolled his eyes at that, “Connor is either ‘Business attire, a guide.’ Or ‘5 year old boy with too much Christmas money.’ There is no in-between.”

Richard was now full on laughing, “How did you know that?” He asked between his laughs.

It was infectious, Gavin followed suit, laughing lightly, “I overheard something about washing a fucking onesie.”

Richard grabbed his arm, Gavin had to calm his mind down by looking at the android’s wide smile directed at him, “Thanks, glad to know people still dress normally.”

Gavin nodded, and pat Richard on the back, settling down on the seat he previously occupied, “Go, change, it’ll be a nice break from whatever that is,” Gavin said, pointing at Richard’s high collared shirt, “Looks like it hurts,” he paused, “ and thin as hell, don’t you get cold?”

Richard shook his head, “The jacket is temperature adjusting.”

The fuck?

Gavin reached out his and to grab at Richard’s jacket, wanting to know what the android meant by ‘temperature adjusting’.

Granted the jacket was slightly warmer than the room, but it could just be from Richard’s body heat, Gavin frowned at him, “Are you fucking with me?”

Richard shed off his jacket, Gavin couldn’t help but stare, he never saw the android in anything other than the complete android uniform, and it was both endearing and frightening to see him without it.

Richard gave the jacket to Gavin, “Here, I’ll go change while you figure my jacket out” he teased.

“You better believe, these things goes for a three month salary.” Gavin replied, turning around the jacket in his hand, trying to inspect where the heating and cooling pad were, to no avail.

“Is it that expensive?” Richard asked, frowning, he was not familiar with the pricing and general cash flows of anything just yet.

The detective chuckled, “No, our salary is _that low.”_

“Ah, and here I thought I can get everything I need by next month.” Richard remarked.

Gavin looked up at him, the android’s face were neutral, how Richard could be both so mature and childlike at the same time he couldn’t figure out, “Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out, you don’t waste money on food and shit. Go change, I’ll be here.” He shushed the android to the bathroom.

Richard chuckled and gave in.

As soon as the bathroom door closed Gavin quickly look at the jacket in his hand, nothing felt off about it, it felt like any other jacket, the glowing thing on it were surprisingly made out of a normal cloth material.

He was still curious about the temperature thing however, and put the jacket on.

It was too big on him and he frowned, sleeves covering down to his fingers, granted it was warm, but again, that could be from Richard’s body heat.

He opened his window and jumped to the fire escape that doubled as his balcony.

The jacket wrapped around him warmed up quickly and startled Gavin.

No wonder Richard never bothered to buy any other clothes, these were damn comfortable.

“Am I getting my jacket back, Gavin?” Richard’s voice came from behind him.

Gavin turned around Richard was leaning out of the window, now dressed in his old sweatshirt.

“Oh look, it has a neck.” Gavin laughed.

If it was possible, without the collar on Richard looked even... longer?

“Yes, yes, on with it,” Richard chuckled, scooting Gavin over to sit beside him on the fire escape, “But really, am I getting that back?”

Gavin laughed, “For now you are.”

“That was unnecessarily ominous.”

“I’m gonna have to get one of these soon.” Gavin said, looking over the busy Detroit streets.

Richard stayed quiet for a while, “Gavin, I have been curious about something, and I would like to ask about it if you don’t mind.” He said hesitantly.

He felt coldness washed over him, was this it? Was Richard gonna ask him something and not like him because of it? His mind was going miles an hour and the warmth of the jacket was starting to suffocate him.

Richard seemed to detect his panic, “It’s not anything serious, I was just about to ask if I could see your cat, I’m sorry if I phrase it to imply otherwise.” He elaborated, putting his hand on Gavin’s shoulder.

Gavin breathed a sigh of relief, “Now who’s being ominous, huh?” Gavin laughed nervously and jumped back in to his apartment, “Close it behind you so Cat wouldn’t get out.”

Gavin opened his bedroom wide, when a couple of seconds went on too long without the furry orange cat strutting out, he fetched Cat from his perching spot.

Gavin gave the cat to Richard, and the android cradled Cat like a baby.

“Put him over your shoulder, he likes being on tall things, he’ll like you alright.” Gavin said, but Richard was barely paying attention to him anymore and off in his own world with Cat.

After a few moments of watching Richard play with Cat, Richard’s LED stuttered a yellow colour.

Gavin frowned, “Everything ok?”

Richard turned to face him and sighed dramatically, forcing a confused laugh from Gavin,

“Connor sent the files, we need to get back to work.”

 

* * *

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm late :') 
> 
> and i know i said this chapter would be case related, but i figured ill put forward Richard's backstory? if you could call it that 
> 
> thank you for all the nice comments and everything! i really appreciate it! :D 
> 
> love you

**Author's Note:**

> I really dont know where this story came from, i just woke up and made an entire plot line, ill upload every two days, in turn with my other fic
> 
> leave kudos or comment to let me know whether i should continue the fic :)


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